Kazakhstan has two official languages: Kazakh and Russian. Russian is more prominent in Almaty, since it is a big city, but I am told that Kazakh is the primary language in smaller villages, especially in the south. Street signs are always written in both languages.
The currency used in Kazakhstan is the tenge. The exchange rate is currently around 320 Tenge = 1 U.S. Dollar.
Everything is relatively cheap here. You can purchase a liter of water for around 150 tenge (~$0.46) at a supermarket or 120 tenge (~0.37) at a smaller store.
The best meal I ate this week was a meal I had at a Kazakh wedding. When I first arrived, I was amazed by the bountiful spread of dishes laid on the table. I soon learned that it was just the first of many courses.
This week I went to a free outdoor concert where bands performed many American songs, including Bruno Mars's "Uptown Funk" and Coldplay's "Adventure of a Lifetime." In addition, I went to my dance class, where we are learning a routine to "Humble." by Kendrick Lamar.
